The use of indicators for identifying the activation of a device is commonplace. One predominant form of indicators utilizes an audible or sound-based mechanism for providing notification to a user. However, some persons may have impaired hearing capabilities and may even be completely deaf to audible indicators. Accordingly, such individuals are at a distinct disadvantage to detect and respond to such audible indicating devices.
One such device that has traditionally relied upon an audible indicator is a telephone or similar telecommunications device. Such devices have conventionally utilized a bell, speaker, or other audible device for notification to a user of an incoming call. For hearing-impaired users, or in environments that are not conducive to audible indicator detection, visual indicators have been developed. One known visual indication approach utilized by hearing-impaired users for identifying an incoming telephone call is illustrated with reference to a conventional visual notification system 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1. This prior approach connects a conventional telephone 200 through a coupling circuit 102 to a room lamp 104 or other light source. The coupling circuit 102, upon detection of a telephone “ring” signal on a communication network 106, causes, for example, a room light or lamp 104 to flash repeatedly when a ringing voltage or other signal designates an incoming call.
In such applications, and to the hearing-impaired community, telephone-coupling circuits and single light source visual indicator have often been referred as “flashers.” Flashers or visual indicators may be implemented as a single light source located on or near the telephone or may be coupled to a more generally present light source such as a light bulb or lamp in a room inhabited by a hearing-impaired user. While such visual indicators provide notification to a user thereof, such visual indicators are “one dimensional” in information conveyed in that they provide only a notification of the occurrence of an event (e.g., the ringing of an incoming call).
While visual indicators exist that provide a visual indication of the origin of, for example, an incoming call, such visual notifications are generally not adequately able to alert a user and may readily go unnoticed. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional telephone 200 configured with a caller identification display 208 that provides a visual notification of an incoming call and even provides information correlated to the calling party. While the caller identification display 208 is configured to provide correlated information of the calling party, it is not, however, adequately visually alerting to draw attention to the telephone device.
An example of a system that provides an improved visual indication of the origin of incoming calls is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,769,141 to Cupal et al. (Aug. 3, 2010), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified diagram of a spatial visual indicator system 300 according to the disclosure of Cupal et al. Cupal et al. describe a visual indicator system 300 including a telephone 200 and a spatial visual indicator device 310 configured to capture caller identification information from an incoming call on a communication network 306, and compare the caller identification information to a list of stored entries of reference caller identification information. The spatial visual indicator device 310 activates a plurality of illuminatable elements 304 on a spatial visual indicator 312 according to a spatial visual indicator pattern corresponding to a stored entry of reference caller identification information that matches the captured caller identification information from the incoming call. Although the system described by Cupal et al. improves visual indication of the origin of incoming calls, it is limited to utilizing spatial visual indicator patterns that are pre-programmed into the system, and provides limited flexibility to conform to a user's preferences.